The 1985 film Young Sherlock Holmes was sadly overlooked on released, so isnt it time we rediscovered it?
Michael takes a look back…
Guy Ritchies kinetic, stylised take has yielded two blockbuster movies with a third in the pipeline.
It seems that right now, you could put a dog in a deerstalker and guarantee yourself a hit.
It hasnt always been so.
This is a shame, as founding a series was very evidently the filmmakers intention.
On the silver screen, the best model for success wasIndiana Jones,another Amblin Entertainment product.
Holmes contains elements of Harrys starry destiny and Hermiones smart-alec knowingness.
We learn about Brompton through him, just as we do Hogwarts through Harry.
More on her later.
The dining room scene is strongly reminiscent of Potter, while in place of Quidditch we have fencing.
Dudley is wonderfully played by Earl Rhodes, who gives the character a delicious sliminess and smirking pompous arrogance.
The character is spot on, and Holmes besting of him is no less satisfying for being inevitable.
The films SFX also provides another precedent for the films of today.
In an early sequence, a stained glass knight leaps from a window to threaten an old vicar.
Although some of the SFX look dated they remain as scary as intended.
The Glass Knight, however, stands out.
Accompanied by a spine-tingling noise of shattering glass, it exudes menace.
Yep, the Pixar guy.
All legacies aside, the film stands up on its own merits.
It is a rollicking good adventure, almost custom-designed for cosy winter afternoons.
Indeed, there are more than a few hints ofA Study In ScarletandThe Sign Of The Four.
It is, definitively, an origins story.
Were here to see how Sherlock Holmes, odd-named schoolboy became Sherlock Holmes the Consulting Detective.
Much of what makes Sherlock Sherlock is already in place.
He is aloof, vain, arrogant, petulant and brilliant.
His very first appearance demonstrates his frustration at not having mastered the violin within three days.
More important still is his love for Elizabeth, the niece of the schools pet eccentric Waxflatter.
Elizabeth, one of only two female characters with any real dialogue, is woefully underused.
She is no Irene Adler or Hermione Granger.
Plotwise, she does little else but give Holmes a damsel to remove from distress.
He is almost good enough to save her.
It is a real shame that more could not be done with her.
Watson is a milder disappointment.
Despite gaining a valued partner, Holmes seems to learn little from his tubby companion.
None of this is to the detriment of Alan Cox, who plays Watson with spirit and warmth.
The supporting cast, absent of any canonical necessity, are much better.
Still, it is Holmes film and Nicholas Rowe delights in it.
He strides about with panache, leaving a trail of bewildered pupils, teachers and policemen in his wake.
His Holmes is a joy to watch, even as he flaunts some of Holmes less pleasant traits.
Theres even a passing mention of Mycroft, Sherlocks elder, and even more intelligent, brother.
Best of all is the explanations for Sherlocks deerstalker, Inverness cape and pipe.
By the end, Holmes has become the character we know.
He tells us that he only saw Holmes cry twice in his life.
He finishes the film ready for new adventures.
Its just a shame they never happened.
